Displays with minimized border regions having an apertured TFT layer for signal conductors

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display having a thin-film transistor layer. One or more holes in the thin-film transistor layer may be used to form pathways from display circuitry to other circuitry underneath the display. One or more conductive bridges may pass through holes in the thin-film transistor layer and may have one end that couples to the display circuitry and a second end that couples to a printed circuit underneath the display. These conductive bridges may be formed from wire bonding. Wire bond connections may be encapsulated with potting material to improve the reliability of the wire bond and increase the resiliency of the display. Display signal lines may be routed through holes in a thin-film transistor layer to run along a backside of the display thereby reducing the need for space in the border region for display circuitry.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display having a display layer with an opening, wherein the display layer extends entirely around a perimeter of the opening; 
 a printed circuit substrate having a first surface facing the display layer and an opposing second surface; 
 an integrated circuit on the second surface of the printed circuit substrate; and 
 a conductive structure in the opening in the display layer, wherein the conductive structure couples the integrated circuit to circuitry on the display layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the integrated circuit is a driver integrated circuit. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2  further comprising:
 a connector on the printed circuit substrate. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 3  wherein the conductive structure comprises conductive material that fills the opening in the display layer. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 4  wherein the opening is one of an array of openings in the display layer and wherein the conductive material fills each of the openings of the array of openings. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the display layer a first display layer and the opening is a first opening, wherein the display comprises a second display layer having a second opening that is aligned with the first opening, and wherein the conductive structure passes through the first and second openings. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  wherein the conductive structure comprises conductive material that fills the first and second openings. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device  1  defined in  claim 7  wherein the conductive material comprises conductive adhesive. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 7  wherein the conductive material comprises conductive paste. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device defined in  claim 7  wherein the conductive material comprises conductive foam. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the conductive structure has a first end that coupled to a bond pad on the display layer and a second end that is coupled to a bond pad on the printed circuit substrate. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a backlight layer interposed between the printed circuit substrate and the display layer. 
 
     
     
       13. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display layer having a substrate with opposing first and second surfaces, wherein the substrate has an opening; 
 a printed circuit that comprises signal lines; 
 display driver circuitry on a surface of the printed circuit coupled to the signal lines; and 
 conductive material in the opening that couples the signal lines to circuitry on the display layer. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the printed circuit is interposed between the display driver circuitry and the display layer. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the display layer is a first display layer and the opening a first opening, the electronic device further comprising:
 a second display layer having a second opening that is aligned with the first opening, wherein the conductive material fills the first and second openings. 
 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the opening in the display layer is one of a plurality of openings that extend from the first surface to the second surface and wherein the conductive material fills each of the plurality of openings. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the display layer completely surrounds a perimeter of the opening. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the opening extends completely through the substrate. 
     
     
       19. An electronic device comprising:
 a printed circuit substrate; 
 a display layer having an opening; 
 a display driver integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit substrate; and 
 conductive material that fills the opening and that couples the display driver integrated circuit to circuitry on the display layer. 
 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 19  wherein the printed circuit substrate has a first surface facing the display layer and an opposing second surface, and the display driver integrated circuit is formed on the second surface.